Luminaire



March 23, 1965 s. SCHAEFER 3,175,081

LUMINAIRE Filed. April 2, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 FIG. 1

INVENTOR STEPHEN SCHAE FER ATTORN E YS March 23, 1965 s. SCHAEFER LUMINAIRE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1963 INVENTOR. STEPHEN SCHAEFER ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,l75,@8l Patented Mar. 23, 1965 3,175,081 LUMINAHRE Stephen Sehaefer, Roslyn, NJL, assignor to Melhilben Manufaetnring (30., ind, Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 27%,t344 4 (Jlaims. (til. 240-93) This invention relates to a luminaire, more particularly to a luminaire having a refractor hingeably mounted from the luminaire housing for relamping and maintenance.

Most luminaires consist of a housing by which they are attached to a mounting surface, and a light transmitting member in the form of a lens or refractor attached from the housing. In the case of relamping, internal cleaning, and other maintenance procedures, the lens and its mounting frame are generally disassociated from the housing. It has been recognized that it is desirable to maintain the lens and its frame attached to the housing even in the open condition to avoid placement problems and possible damage to the refractor. A common problem of the prior art attachments is that the light transmitting element and its frame, when opened, are free to pivot or move about the temporary attaching means, whereby, in its temporarily attached condition, the usually fragile light transmitting member is not in a stable position and thus prone to damage. A further difliculty encountered in the prior art hingeable luminaires, especially in the ones designed for outdoor use, is their proneness to admit vapors and bugs into the interior of the luminaire, due to loose hinging structures.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a luminaire structure overcoming the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art structures.

The luminaire of the present invention includes a housing provided with a socket for the disposition of a lamp therein, the housing also having means thereon for attaching it to a supporting surface, such as a wall, ceiling, or the like. The housing is provided with a pair of aligned trunnions protruding laterally towards the interior of the housing. A frame member mounting a refractor or similar light transmitting member is provided with a pair of aligned trackways for attaching the frame member and refractor with said trunnions to the housing in the hinged, open position. The frame and the refraotor, when the luminaire is open, swing downwardly about the cooperating members due to the weight of the frame and the refractor. The frame is also provided with one or more supporting lugs adapted to support the frame against the housing in the open and closed positions of the luminaire, so that the weight of the frame and the supporting means assures that the frame and lens will always be in a stable, secure position. On the end of the frame opposite the end on which the trackways are mounted, a screw or suitable latch means can be provided to maintain the luminaire closed. When the luminaire is closed, the supporting lugs of the housing and the screw or latch means opposite thereto maintain a vapor-tight and bug-tight closure between the frame and the housing.

Further features and advantages of the invention are disclosed in the following detailed specification, ith reference being had to the drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are side elevations of an embodiment of the luminaire according to the invention, with parts broken away, showing the luminaire open and closed, respectively;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the luminaire shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the frame member and the refractor, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

A luminaire according to the invention is indicated generally at 10 for attachment to a vertical wall W. The luminaire includes a horizontally disposed, triangular housing 12 including an integral downwardly extending rear wall 13. A cup-shaped mounting member 14 is secured to the rear wall 13 by means of a screw 15 extending through the rear wall. A downwardly disposed socket in is mounted within the housing 12, for operatively securing a lamp 17 in the luminaire. If desired, the housing 12 may be a die cast body, and optionally a reflector 18 can be attached to the interior of the housing, such as by a screw 20, to provide a better utilization of the light and also to provide for thermal shielding of the bulk of the housing and the socket l6 and its associated insulated wires (not shown) from the heat of the lamp.

A pair of axially aligned trunnions 2.2 are formed integrally with the housing on the interior sidewalls thereof. The housing 12 is formed with an interior ridge 24 disposed parallel to the sidewalls of the housing, defining a channel 26 between the ridge and the sidewalls. The ends of the interior ridge 24 near the trunnions 22 are connected to each other by a plate portion 28 disposed in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the ridges. The sidewalls of the housing are disposed adjacent the plate portion 2% and define therewith a channel 27. The end of the housing opposite the end provided with the trunnions 22, is provided with a threaded bore 30.

A frame member 32 is formed complementary to the shape of the housing 12, to be disposed within the channel 2s thereof. The frame member 32 is substantially of an L-shaped cross section (FIG. 4) having vertical sidewalls 34 and horizontal walls 36. The inner circumference of the horizontal walls 36 defines an opening for a lens, refractor or other light transmitting member 38, made usually of glass or plastic, and having a mounting ridge 40 of a circumference larger than the opening defined by the inner circumference of the horizontal walls 36. In order to prevent a direct metal-glass or metalplastic contact, a rubber gasket 42, U-shaped in crosssection, is provided, entirely surrounding the mounting ridge 0 of the refractor 38. The gasket also serves to maintain the vapor-tight closure when the luminaire is closed. The refractor is firmly mounted within the frame member 32 by means of resilient retaining plates 44 pressing the top surface of the gasket 42 against the mounting ridge 40, the retaining plates being secured to the frame member 32 by means of a pair of screws 46.

Formed integrally with the vertical sidewalls 34 of the frame member 32, and disposed toward the rear of the luminaire are a pair of aligned, recessed trackways 48. The trackways each include a vertical interior wall portion 56), offset towards the interior of the frame member from the vertical sidewalls 34 and substantially parallel thereto. This inward oifset is bounded by an upstanding wall portion 52, disposed transversely of the adjacent ver tical sidewall 34, and a slanting flange 5d adjoining the upper end of the upstanding wall portion 52 at one end, and defining a curved recessed portion 56 at its other end. Each trackway 48 is provided with an opening or an access 58 opposite the upstanding wall. portion 52. The rear wall 60 of the frame member 32 connects the accesses 58 of the oppositely aligned trackways 4d.

Formed integrally with the rear wall 60 are a pair of supporting lugs 62, each having an upper supporting surface 64 and a lower supporting surface 66. As will be explained below, these lugs serve important functions in sealing the closed luminaire, and securing the frame and refractor when the lnminaire is open.

A slot'68 is formed in the vertical sidewalls '34 opposite the rear wall 60, to provide access to a screw '70 protruding through a bore '72 in the horizontal walls 36 adjacent the slot. The screw 7% may be provided with a retainer washer 74, to preventthe loss of the screw when not engaged in the bore 30.

In operation, once the screw 70 is released, no additional tools are needed for dismantling the frame from the housing. The trunnions 22 can be passed through the accesses 58' and dislodged from within the trackways 48 if complete removal is desired. The parts of the trunnions facing upwards, toward the interior of the housing 12, are formedcurved, substantially corresponding to the curvature of the curved recessed portion 56. As the weight of the frame member 32 and the weight of the refractor 38.mounted therein pulls the frame downward, the frame member tends to slide along the slanting wall positions 54, become nested in the recesses 56 and there pivot further downwardly about the trunnions 22 until the upper supporting surfaces 64 of the supporting'lugs 62 press against the bottom side of the plate portion 23. The relative angle between the upper supporting surface 64 and the plane of the frame member determines the maximum opening between the housing 12 and the frame member. In this open position the weight of the refractor'and the weight of the frame member pivot the supporting lugs 62 about the trunnions 22 upwardly against the bottom plate of portion 28, firmly lodging the refractor and frame against the mounted housing. The interior sidewall of the housing opposite and parallel to the plate portion 28, i.e., the exterior boundary of the channel 37, is formed at an angle corresponding to the angle of the lower supporting surface 66' of the supporting lugs 62, so that when the frame member 32 is closed in its relationship to the housing, the lower supporting surfaces of the supporting lugs come to rest on t e rear interior sidewall. In this closed positionof the frame member the weight of the refractor and the weight of the frame member are partially borne by the supporting lugs 62, and the frame is maintained tightly closed by threading the screw 7t into the bore 3h. The supporting lugs 62 and supporting surface 66 are designed so that when the screw 761 is tightened, the lugs serve as a fulcrum for frame 32, tightly biasing ridge 24 of the housing against gasket 42. to form a vapor-tight and bug-tight seal. The bottom and the outer sides of the trunnions 22 are preferably formed fiat, so that in the closed position of the frame member, the outer, flat faces of the trunnions can rest adjacent the vertical wall portion 52 of the trackways 48. The outer sides of the horizontal-frame wall 36 are flush with the edges of the vertical sidewalls of the housing 12. The mounting member 14 may be recessed within the wall W, or if not recessed, but mounted on the surface of the wall, a finishing collar 80 may be provided to conceal the mounting member for decorative purposes.

Ifdesired, other closure means such as snap locks, etc.,

4 can be used in place of the screw '70 and the bore 31? to maintain the luminaire closed.

It is to be understood that the invention was disclosed by way of a preferred embodiment thereof, therefore, the scope of ti e invention is to be interpreted from the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A luminaire, comprising a housing, a frame having a central opening therein adapted to be pivotally attached from said housing, a rimmed refractor supported on said frame and extending through the opening thereof, sealing means between said frame and housing around the periphery of said central opening, a first hinging member integrally formed on said housing, a second hinging member integrally formed on the sides of said frame, said first and second hinging members being releasably engageable, a supporting abutment member formed'integrally with and extending from one end of said frame, said abutment member having a first abutment surface and a second abutment surface disposed on a side of said abutment member substantially opposite to said first abutment surface, a limiting surface. means formed in said housing for engaging said first abutment surface to limit the maximum hinged open position of said frame, a second surface means formed in said housing for supporting said second abutment surface tosupport said frame in the closed position thereof, and fastener means for securing the other end of said frame to said housing whereby when said frame and housing are closed the sealing means is compressed between said frame and housing to provide an environment free enclosure.

2. A luminaire according to claim 1, wherein said second supporting surface is spaced from and substantially parallel to said first supporting surface.

3. A luminaire according to claim 1, wherein said first hinging member comprises a pair of aligned trunnions protruding into said housing and being formed integral therewith.

4. A luminaire according to claim 3, wherein said second hinging member comprises a pair of opposingly.

aligned trackways formed integral with said frame, each of said trackways having sidewalls defining an access for the disposition of said trunnions therethrough into said trackways, and said sidewalls each further defining an upwardly extending recessed portion for nesting the trunnions therein in the open pivoting position of said fiame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 424,618 Richards Apr. 1, 1890 2,338,559 Winkelmeyer Jan. 4, 1944 2,662,165 Franck Dec. 8, 1953 2,836,709 Van Dusen May 27, 1958' 2,898,173 Squire Aug. 4, 1959 2,945,945 Rex .Iuly 19, 1960 3,065,338 Husby et a1 Nov. 20, 1962 

1. A LUMINAIRE, COMPRISING A HOUSING, A FRAME HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THEREIN ADAPTED TO PIVOTALLY ATTACHED FROM SAID HOUSING, A RIMMED REFRACTOR SUPPORTED ON SAID FRAME AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE OPENING THEREOF, SEALING MEANS BETWEEN SAID FRAME AND HOUSING AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CENTRAL OPENING, A FIRST HINGING MEMBER INTEGRALLY FORMED ON SAID HOUSING, A SECOND HINGING MEMBER INTEGRALLY FORMED ON THE SIDE OF SAID FRAME, SAID FIRST AND SECOND HINGING MEMBES BEING RELEASABLY ENGAGEABLE, A SUPPORTING ABUTMENT MEMBER FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH AND EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID FRAME SAID ABUTMENT MEMBER HAVING A FIRST ABUTMENT SURFACE AND A SECOND ABUTMENT SURFACE DISPOSED ON A SIDE OF SAID ABUTMENT MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE TO SAID FIRST ABUTMENT SURFACE, A LIMITING SURFACE MEANS FORMED IN SAID HOUSING FOR ENGAGING SAID FIRST ABUTMENT SURFACE TO LIMIT THE MAXIMUM HINGED OPEN POSITION OF SAID FRAME, A SECOND SURFACE MEANS FORMED IN SAID HOUSING FOR SUPPORTING SAID SECOND ABUTMENT SURFACE TO SUPPORT SAID FRAME IN THE CLOSED POSITION THEREOF, AND FASTENER MEANS FOR SECURING THE OTHER END OF SAID FRAME TO SAID HOUSING WHEREBY WHEN SAID FRAME AND HOUSING ARE CLOSED THE SEALING MEANS IS COMPRESSED BETWEEN SAID FRAME AND HOUSING TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT FREE ENCLOSURE. 